Rethokk
Rethokk the Unliving is a Forest Troll who was once a part of the Mossflayer tribe. Killed by plague, he was reborn through the Scourge's dark magic, transformed into an undead killer. Appearance Even a casual glance would show that Rethokk is clearly one of the living dead; his skin is a pale green, far lighter then the typical Forest Troll's. His skin appears to be withered and dried; a closer inspection will show that they moss that would typically hang off it is largely dead or dying. His tusks are yellowed, his hair is bleached white, and his eyes appear to be sunken and hollow. Despite this, he still moves with the surprising grace and agility common to his race; possibly frighteningly such, given his nature. Like other Death Knights, Rethokk wears heavy, runed armour, and carries a massive runed blade. The words "I eat your babies" are crudely scratched into one of his shoulderplates in common. Personality Formerly a near-mindless undead, Rethokk's transformation into a Death Knight saw his mind reawaken to an extent. He has regained a degree of his predatory instincts, making him a deadly and capable soldier and stalker. While a capable frontline combatant, where possible, he prefers to take a more subtle, stealthy approach, taking his opponents by surprise where possible and staging ambushes. He does not shy from direct confrontation, however, and seems to enjoy the thrill of combat and killing. Rethokk seems to have a degree of individuality, however; he seems to revel in his position as a soldier of the Scourge, and enjoy the prospect of killing and destroying in the name of the Lich King. At times, he displays a macabre, grotesque sense of humour, finding the prospects of death and destruction to be almost amusing. History Born and raised in the aftermath of the second war, Rethokk knew an early life of chaos and strife. With Zul'jin missing (and presumed dead), the Forest Troll tribes had again fallen into fighting amongst themselves; furthermore, they faced reprisals from the victorious humans and High Elves. Growing up quickly, he learned to fight, becoming a warrior through a mixture of formal training and practical experience. Rethokk became a tenacious fighter, not giving up under any circumstances. In the aftermath of the third war, the Mossflayer Tribe seemingly escaped the destruction of Lorderon unscathed; in fact, the Troll trabe's position had seemingly improved, due to the destruction of their greatest enemies, the human and Elven kingdoms. For several years, they slowly expanded their holdings, taking care not to come into conflict with the Scourge. For a while, it seemed that the Mossflayers would grow and expand, possibly even challenging the might of the Amani. However, a strange disease began to sweep through the Mossflayer tribe, killing off its members. Unbeknownst to its members, a number of them had been infected by the Scourge; not too long after they died, they rose from the dead, infecting others. Rethokk was amongst the dead; however, upon being raised to undeath, he lashed out, killing a number of his living kinsmen. Staggering south into the Plaugelands proper, he was discovered by the Scourge; retaining a modicum of intelligence, he still was clearly a capable fighter and a loyal servant of the Lich King. From there, he was taken in by Karl Baarfden, a Death Knight trainer who was impressed with the Troll's strength and power, as well as their willingness to slaughter their kin. At his advising, Rethokk was transformed into a Death Knight, becoming one of Sir Karl's "order", the Knights of the Blackened Claw. Having remained loyal to the Scourge in the aftermath of the disaster at Light’s Hope, he was promoted to the rank of Knight, serving as a replacement for those who chose to defect from their ranks. As a part of the Scourge’s forces, he did battle with the forces of the Alliance and Horde as they advanced through Northrend. With his cunning and skill, he was able to sate a degree of his bloodlust in merciless attacks on the living that he crossed paths with. He preferred fighting in the less desolate reaches of Northrend, using forest cover to stage ambushes. His skill and power saw him chosen by Vidruand to act as a bodyguard during his secret mission to raise Blue Dragon corpses in Crystalsong forest. When his base camp was attacked, Rethokk helped cover Vidurand’s retreat, ambushing the renegade Death Knight, Jill Valdaar. Unfortunately, his skills proved to be no match for hers (and her years of killing forest Trolls in Arathi) and he was cut down. category:Characters category:Forest Troll category:Undead category:Scourge category:Death Knight Category:Knights of the Blackened Claw category:Articles by Darthfish